Legacy
by bookchick08
Summary: Considering how happy the rest of the world was, Sokka was surprised to find Toph outside crying one night.


**A/N: Hey guys! This is a Tokka fic I started a couple months ago and kind of abandoned. I decided to finish it today, but I'm not completely sure how satisfied I am with it. It's mostly one-sided, but you can interpret it as you will. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:tLA.**

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It had been almost two weeks since the end of the war. The world was just starting to heal. Towns were being rebuilt. Families reunited. Romances rekindled. It was a time of celebration and thanksgiving. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn't happy.

So when Sokka found Toph outside crying one night, he was surprised.

Not just because of the world's jovial state, but also because she was Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender in the world. She–well, she just wasn't the crying type. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen her cry.

She was curled up against the rail on the balcony of the Earth Kingdom house they were renting while Aang and Zuko put the finishing touches on the Harmony Restoration Movement treaty. Everyone else had been asleep for hours, and Sokka was only up to get a drink of water. Upon seeing his friend, though, he decided to take a small detour.

"Toph?" He slowly stepped outside. "Are you okay?"

Toph wiped her eyes. "Does it look like I'm okay, Snoozles?"

Sokka sat down next to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip, and for a moment Sokka thought she wasn't going to tell him. Then she said, "I keep having nightmares about the day of the comet, when we were hanging off that airship." She turned her head to face him. "I thought I was going to die. I thought my fingers were going to slip, or that you were going to let go, or something else that would make me fall."

Sokka glanced at her. "Are you sure that's the only thing that's bothering you?"

Toph fiddled with the hem of her shorts. "Sokka, that nightmare makes me think… what would've happened if I'd died? Would anyone _care? _I mean, I know people would_ care_, but after awhile… they'd forget. They'd forget the war. They'd forget metalbending. They'd forget me."

She took a shaky breath, then continued. "I don't know how to explain it, Sokka, but I just can't bear the thought of dying without somehow leaving a legacy. I want to leave a mark that says, 'Hey, Toph Beifong was here, and she was important. She actually made a difference.' Maybe it'll be through metalbending. Maybe I'll have a kid who'll finish what I start. Maybe…" she wiped her eyes and laughed shakily. "I don't know. Does any of this make sense?"

Sokka had kept his gaze on the ground the entire time, feeling like he was witnessing something very private and very personal, though she was willingly admitting these things to him. He nodded slowly, forgetting she couldn't see, and said, "Yeah. I think I do."

"Really?" she asked, turning her head to the sound of his voice.

Sokka nodded again, this time with more confidence. "Yeah. I mean, look at Aang, Katara, and Zuko. Aang's the Avatar–of course he'll be remembered. Katara's one of the greatest waterbenders to ever live, and let's face it, there's no way she and Aang won't get married one day. She'll be remembered as a great waterbender and as the Avatar's wife. Zuko's the Firelord, and he's playing a huge role in the Harmony Restoration Movement. People will remember him, too. But me? I'm just a guy with a boomerang and a sword. I can't bend. Heck, I'm not even overly-talented with the sword or the boomerang. After I die; after you, Katara, Aang, and everyone who was involved with the war dies… I'll be forgotten."

He turned to look at her. "Toph, you have nothing to be afraid of. People will always remember you. You're the greatest earthbender in the world. You discovered metalbending–heck, that's enough to leave a legacy as it is." Toph blushed, and a corner of Sokka's mouth turned up into a grin. "You're gonna go far, Toph. Trust me."

Toph slugged his arm, and Sokka laughed. "Thanks, Sokka."

He rubbed his sore arm–no matter how many times she hit him, Sokka would never admit how much her punches actually hurt–and grinned. "You're welcome."

Toph got up and started to walk inside, pausing at the door. "Oh, and by the way–you're not gonna be forgotten, either."

Sokka looked up at her. "You think?"

A smile played on the edge of Toph's mouth. "Definitely. You might not be a bender, but you're one of the smartest people I know. And you're only fifteen–you've got plenty of time to become a swordmaster or whatever they're called." Her grin softened and become sincere. "Sokka, you have nothing to worry about. Trust me."

Sokka got up and walked over to Toph, planting a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, Toph." He smiled sincerely. "Thank you."

Face as red as the Fire Nation's robes, Toph squeezed Sokka's hand. "You're welcome." Toph started to walk inside, but turned to Sokka and said, "Hey, Snoozles?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that when you become a Master Swordbender or whatever, you'll hit me up so I can crush you into the dirt with my mad metalbending skills."

Sokka grinned. "I promise."

"Good. I'm gonna hold you to it, you know." She walked back inside.

He shook his head, still grinning. "I know."


End file.
